Die castings before and after machining in HTT’s CNC Milling Department. The Project
HTT was asked by a global medical device manufacturer to produce an array of high-precision die cast components of different materials, including aluminum, sintered steel, and another challenging metal. We were also charged with inspecting and verifying the raw castings and finished product, as well as managing the end-to-end process with supply chain partners around the world.
The designs had complex geometries and called for maintaining extremely tight tolerances:
What metal is prized in manufacturing for its high strength to weight ratio but also can be highly flammable under certain conditions?
(Answer below)
- Surface finish 24 µin Ra.
- +/- 0.0001” in key areas.
- Geometric tolerancing, including a true position of 0.002” on several features.
- Complex clamping geometries requiring custom fixtures for each part.
To win the whole job, HTT first successfully completed process capability studies for each part, demonstrating our accuracy and consistency in meeting the required specifications.
The Solution
True to our “One and Done” principle, HTT managers and machinists worked together to design a process that could produce each part in a single operation with consistent accuracy and finish.
One of the big challenges with this project was working with the magnesium diecasts. Many shops don’t have the capabilities to work with complex die cast metals like this one – but High Tech Turning does! We customized a program with effective protocols to handle this challenging order that would optimize throughput without compromising safety or quality.
Did you know?
Working with magnesium requires stringent safety measures due to its high flammability as a metal dust or chip.
Our machinists programmed our 5-axis CNC milling centers with our advanced, proprietary tooling techniques to facilitate continuous production and single operation success.
We developed efficient inspection fixturing and a meticulous process that enabled us to verify many parts simultaneously, reducing lead time and additional costs.
To complete the solution, HTT also met weekly with the customer’s quality engineers to communicate progress on reaching and maintaining the customer’s stringent quality metrics. Not only did we have to perform capability studies to prove our own qualifications, we were also responsible for measuring and verifying the output of the international material suppliers. Both required a Ppk of 1.33, a very high rate of consistency.
The Results
Another very satisfied customer! Over our 18-year relationship with this customer, High Tech Turning has produced over 7 million custom parts, many of them machined die castings.
To fulfill this customer’s requirements, we provide weekly pallet-sized shipments containing multiple parts using our “Just-In-Time” stocking and delivery program.
Delivered over 3,700 shipments on schedule to the customer, and we are also proud of our defect rate average of just 17 PPM (parts per million).
We successfully machined and handled the magnesium diecasts with zero safety issues.
